Finger-trainer for pianists.



R. BARRETT.

FINGER TRAINER FOR PIANISTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

W I F G an 0mm, 4mm E INALD ARRETI 24% 351 7:15 lm fl 6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE.

REGINALD BARRETT, OF NEW YORK, N. 32'.

FINGER-TRAINER- FOR PIANISTS.

Application filed February 21, 1914.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, REGINALD BARRETT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Fordham, Bronx borough and county, city and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Finger-Trainers for Pianists, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to finger trainers for pianists.

Tn the playing of the pianoforte it is essential in order to get a sharp clear tone that the hammer strike the tone emitting device or string a quick blow and this can only be done by giving the finger key connected to the hammer a quick hammer-like blow. To give the key such a blow it is desirable to have the fingers slightly bent and to strike the key with the end of the finger tip. It is the tendency of pianists, and especially of pupils or learners, to straighten out the fingers with the result that the keys are struck with the front of the finger tips and it is impossible to give a sharp hammer-like blow.

It is the object of the present invention to provide means adapted to be applied to the wrist and fingers to draw and maintain the fingers in a bent position, and to provide means which are simple and cheap in construction, efficient in operation, and readily adjustable to difierent sizes of hands and fingers.

W'ith this object in view I provide a wrist band and adjustably connect thereto, preferably by means of a perforated plate carried by said band, a series of elastic bands or tapes, one for each finger, said bands having adjustable loops which the fingers are adapted to engage.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the keyboard of a piano showing a hand in operative relation to the key-board having an embodiment of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, looking at the bottom, of my finger trainer; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the perforated plate to connect the elastic finger bands to the wrist band.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawing.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing comprises a band 4,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 820,110.

wh ch may be of an elastic webbing, to en gage about the wrist one end of which band has a series of socket members 5 of snap buttons and the other end a male member 6 of a snap button to engage in either one of the sockets 5 to fit the wrist band to different sized wrists.

The wrist band i carries a perforated plate 7 by threading the same through perforations therein and located at the front of the wrist. Connected at one end to said plate, as by passing through openings 8 therein, is a series of elastic bands or tapes 9, one for each finger. These bands are adjustably connected to the plates so that the same may be adjusted to different sized hands and fingers, and for which purpose the bands are threaded through slides 10 and the ends of the bands secured to a cross bar of said slides whereby the bands have an adjustable loop connection with the plate 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The forward or free ends of the bands 9 are provided with loops 11 which the fingers are adapted to engage. In order that these loops will fit different sized fingers they are made adjustable by threading said ends through slides 12 in the form of rectangular open frames to one longitudinal member of which slides the ends of the bands are secured, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In practice the elastic bands 9 extend across the palm of the hand with the plate 7 lying against the front or bottom of the wrist, as shown in Fig. l, and in order to prevent chafing of the wrist by said plate when made of metal, I provide a shield 14 of fabric, such as plush or the like, to extend between the plate and the wrist, one end of which shield is passed through an elongated slot 13 in the plate and connected to the body portion of the shield, as by stitching, the other edges remaining free as shown in Fig. 2, as it will readily adjust itself when the band 1 is placed on the wrist, or if desired it may be secured at the front edges to the plate.

he operation of my improved finger trainer for pianists is as follows: The band at is first placed around the wrist and secured in position. The loops 11 are then placed over the fingers to engage just above the second joint when the fingers are bent to occupy the proper playing position and the bands 9 adjusted to the desired length by the slides 10. It will thus be obvious that the tension or elasticity of the bands 9 Will tend to draw the fingers in and maintain them in proper playing position, although they may be spread out against the clasticity of the bands should occasion require. Furthermore, by adjustably connecting the bands to the plate 7 each of the bands may be independently adjusted to increase or decrease the tension thereof. This is very advantageous where one finger has more of a tendency to spread out than the other fingers due to an inherent weakness therein.

having thus described my invention 1 claim:

1. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a Wrist band, and elastic means connected to the Wrist band and adapted to be connected to the fingers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a Wrist band; a series of elastic bands, one for each finger, connected at one end to the Wrist band; and loops at the free ends of the elastic bands for the engagement of the fingers.

8. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a Wrist band; a series of elastic bands, one for each finger, adjustably connected at one end to the Wrist band; and adjustable loops at the free ends of the elastic bands for the engagement of the fingers.

4:. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a perforated plate; a Wrist band threaded through said plate; a series of elastic band's, one for each finger, connected at one end to said plate and the free ends adapted I to be connected to the fingers.

5. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a perforated plate; a Wrist band threaded through said plate; a series of elastic bands, one for each finger, adjustably connected at one end to said plate; and adjustable loops at the free ends of the elastic bands for the engagement of the fingers.

6- A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a perforated plate; a Wrist band, threaded through said plate; a series of elastic bands, one for each finger, connected at one end. to said plate and the free ends adapted to be connected to the fingers; and a shield connected to the plate to extend between the plate and Wrist.

7. A finger trainer for pianists, comprising a perforated plate; a Wrist band thread.-

ed through said plate; a series of elastic bands, one for each finger and one end passing through perforations in the plate; slides on said bands to Which such ends of the bands are connected to adjustably connect thebands to the plate; a second slide on each band to Which the other ends of the bands are connected to form adjustable loops for the engagement of the fingers.

RE GINALD BARRETT.

l/Vitnesses:

JOHN O. SEIFERT, P. PHILIPP.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, 30.0. 

